Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Yolaporte.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Yolaportexe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Fort Myers, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and good postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventor in May, 1998, in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-4383, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-5897, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, desirable inflorescence form and ray floret colors, fast response time, and excellent postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in June, 1999. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yolaporte has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yolaportexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yolaportexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Uniform and upright plant habit.
2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.
3. Dense dark green foliage.
4. Uniform flowering habit.
5. Early flowering, eight-week response time.
6. Large daisy-type inflorescences.
7. Spoon-shaped ray florets with dark purple-colored throats and light purple-colored tubes.
8. Excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about five weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in ray floret shape and coloration as plants of the new Chrysanthemum have spoon-shaped ray florets with dark purple-colored throats whereas plants of the female parent selection have red purple-colored ray florets with short corolla tubes.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are shorter and have ray florets with darker purple-colored throats than plants of the male parent selection. In addition, inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum do not produce pollen whereas inflorescences of plants of the male parent selection produce pollen.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Yoduluth, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,993. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yoduluth in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were shorter and less vigorous than plants of the cultivar Yoduluth.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than plants of the cultivar Yoduluth.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week earlier than plants of the cultivar Yoduluth.
4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Yoduluth.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Rapture, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,179. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Rapture in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more freely flowering but had smaller inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Rapture.
2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum had darker purple-colored throats than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Rapture.